No power hour

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Our power is off, city power said about an hour, what should one do when the power goes off ??

I placed a blanket over the tank a piece of polistyrene to try to keep the heat in.
 
take a jug and pour from sump into tank every now and then
 
Dont think too much will happen in a hour, the best advise in this country at the moment is get a generator big enough to run the essentials on your system.
 
one hour is fine, although your tank is outside so keep an eye on the temp, not much you can do about it though. Maybe light a few candles underneath the main tank :lol:
 
The power is back on, cant believe it, I am not really worried about an hour, the temp droped about 1 deg, but what happens if we are in the middle of winter and the power is off for 4 hours, what should one do then.

Alan I would love to have a gennie, but I only work for the bank I don't own it yet :lol:
 
"keep the heat in"... Man I wish I ever needed to do that. Tank has not had a heater in for about a month now, and it was unplugged for a few months before that...
 
What rating generator would be enough? I see the 1kw versions go for affordable figures like R1500-R2000 or so.

-E
 
I saw those small generators at builders warehouse the other day...These things can handle just over 600w....
What do you guys think...Will this be OK just to run the heaters and return pump and maybe one or two Seios?
The price of these small gennies are around R700
 
It should be ok. Pumps are very efficient. It's really the heaters that should be a concern. But if you run a 300W heater, I can't see any problems.

My 3000L/H return pump uses 95W. I'm not sure about the Seio's though. But it's fairly simple to calculate the wattage you will need. Just add them all up and leave some room to spare. These cheap generators are not known for their smooth power output. (At least the cheapo I used to have.)
 
If you are going to buy a generator, make sure it has an AVR (automatic voltage regulator). this will ensure a constant voltage.

I have 17.5 kVA genset running my house, and a 6 kVA UPS on the tank, tv and sound system.
 
EJ don't you want to post a threat on gennies and ups'? So we know what to look for. Thanks Bud
 
Good idea CB, will do just that.
 
Is there maybe a device of some sort that if the electricity switches off, it automatically starts the generator.....or does one have to go and manually start the generator?
 
what is the maximum amount of time that corals will be fine if power switches off?im sure for quite a long period,well thats because im thinking of how long it usually takes the corals in transportation??
 
Depends on many things, the first problem is going to be the lack of oxygen if you have a moderate to high fish load and the second is temp dropping or rising. generally a tank should be fine for about 4-6 hours. If you can keep the temp stable. You can combat the lack of oxygen with a battery operated air pump in the display itself which will also create slight water movement.
 
Depends on many things, the first problem is going to be the lack of oxygen if you have a moderate to high fish load and the second is temp dropping or rising. generally a tank should be fine for about 4-6 hours. If you can keep the temp stable. You can combat the lack of oxygen with a battery operated air pump in the display itself which will also create slight water movement.

cool alan.that anwers my question.need to invest in one of those battery operated pumps
 
Gas heater

I use a gas heater (with a thermostat) to heat up the room my tanks are in.

As long as you have gas, you can keep the tempeture constant within a degree , keep the doors closed.

Never point it directly towards your tank, you will boil them, use the air to heat it up.

PS. Last year the country ran out of gas, I live in Parkview that has more power interruptions than Harare, not funny. :(
 
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